David Berkowitz Chicago – Urban Hiking

11Sep

There’s a whole new kind of hiking taking off, and it doesn’t require a National Park or acres of undisturbed nature. Urban hiking, done in large cities like New York and Chicago, is a way to enjoy the beauty that cities have to offer. You can fully experience your city’s hidden gems by hiking it.

David Berkowitz of Chicago has been participating in urban hiking for a few years now, and has found it to be an invigorating physical experience. Berkowitz also uses urban hiking as an opportunity to take his photography to the next level.

An avid backpacker, Berkowitz finds that hiking is a way to fully absorb his surroundings while also using the hike as a time of introspection and inner dialogue. Urban hiking has become a movement, with backpackers across the nation using cities as the perfect place to hike – no nature necessary.

In Chicago, there are plenty of popular urban hikes to take, although some prefer to suit up and just see where the day takes them. Berkowitz, also an accomplished photographer, took one of his most well-received photos when he was hiking to the Baha’i temple.

If you want a good mix of urban and natural, as Berkowitz does, try hiking all 18 miles of the Chicago Lakefront. Soak in the beauty of what nature made and what man made, all in the same hike.

There are plenty of ways to find good hikes within Chicago and other metropolitan areas, if you do a little digging. Whether you love the urban life and want to stay city-side, or want to break from the hustle and bustle to find a little bit of nature hidden in your city, urban hiking may be exactly what you need.